LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (06/13/99)

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Do nothing, get nothing

Dear Editor:

It was ironic and amusing to see R.L. Chomiak's letter next to Myron Kuropas's column in the May 16 issue. Dr. Kurpopas was right on the mark with his "Been there, done that!" warning re: "pan-Slavism" being a slippery slope to the Russian Empire's resurrection.

Let's not repeat history. Along comes R.L. Chomiak with his "do nothing approach": everything will be all right because those who insult us will know that we know they owe us something for their insults.

Let me remind Mr. Chomiak that we've relied too much on the "do nothing" approach; we've truly "Been there, done that!" Had we done that in the case of "60 Minutes" hate-mongering, does he really believe CBS moguls would have respected us and felt the they owed us something? Would the legal bills be paid for another "almost apology?" One can go on and on.

Allow me to let Mr. Chomiak in on a little secret: You get nothing for nothing!

Jaroslaw Sawka
Sterling Heights, Mich.

Column's rationale was questionable

Dear Editor:

Although one may often disagree with Dr. Myron Kuropas's opinions on Ukraine and its North American diaspora, the rationale for their appearance in a newspaper devoted to Ukrainian life here and in Ukraine is obvious. However, what is one to make of a piece such as "Gideon's spies," which, on the surface, has absolutely nothing to do with things Ukrainian?

As far as I can judge, the only rationale for its appearance in The Ukrainian Weekly is to signal to the Ukrainian reader the possibility that his/her Jewish neighbors may be "sayanim," volunteers in the service of the Israeli Mossad, capable not only of penetrating the White House, but even powerful enough to compel the pope to visit a Jewish synagogue in Rome - to say nothing, therefore, of their potential threat to the Ukrainian community.

Precisely: to say nothing, to insinuate, to suggest, to play on and thus subtly (or rather, crudely) arouse the anti-Semitic sentiments of many members of that community.

If someone can provide me with a more cogent rationale for the writing of this commentary, please do. It would be instructive indeed.

Roman Koropeckyj
Los Angeles

The writer is assistant professor of Slavic languages and literatures at UCLA.

"Skewed history" and Harvard

Dear Editor:

Dr. Ivan Kochan's critical assessment of the popularizing trade book "The Russian Chronicles: A Thousand Years that Changed the World" ("'Russian Chronicles' and Skewed History," May 30) as a whole is accurate: it is a quasi-textbook, sloppy from a scholarly perspective and meant to be a popularizing, Russocentric history of the East Slavs.

Of special concern is the implication in Dr. Kochan's letter that the Ukrainian Research Institute at Harvard University (HURI) had some special role in the production or content of this volume. That absolutely is not the case. HURI had no formal or informal role with the book. The Harvard faculty listed in the book were consulted many years ago at an early stage of the project. They had no control over the book's content or final product, and are not listed as contributors. Anyone familiar with their specialized work on the early history of Rus' knows that their views do not correspond at all to the Russocentric presentation of the book.

The appearance of a book like "The Russian Chronicles" reminds us that the battle over a balanced and truthful presentation of East Slavic history is not over. The Ukrainian American community has done a remarkable job supporting the publications program at HURI, and we are grateful for that support. HURI books, along with those from the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies (CIUS), have made a significant impact on world scholarship, as evidenced by new work in the field that cites our books and the hundreds of positive reviews from American, Canadian and international periodicals that we have received.

However, the support of the Ukrainian-American community is still extremely important since its purchase of HURI and CIUS books helps our programs to grow and meet challenges like this.

I would like to suggest to all those who are incensed by "The Russian Chronicles" that a constructive response might be the purchase of a book from the Ukrainian Research Institute or CIUS for themselves, their families or their local libraries. This is one important way that we can make a history like "The Russian Chronicles" a thing of the past.

Robert De Lossa
Cambridge, Mass.

The writer is director of publications, Ukrainian Research Institute, Harvard University.

Commendations for May 30 issue

Dear Editor:

I wish to commend the effort that went into the May 30 issue of The Ukrainian Weekly, specifically the editorial "On Memorial Day" and the commentary in Faces and Places, "An opportunity to lead," by Myron Kuropas.

It seems there is something unusual about Ukrainian Americans who specifically remember the significance of observing Memorial Day each year here in the U.S.A. It seems that our Ukrainian American forefathers have instilled into their offspring values that appear to be missing in American culture. Keep up your good work.

Also you do a good job in publishing the commentary by Dr. Kuropas. Ukrainian Americans have something to offer to preserve in this country of their heritage. We may be small in number but our parents taught us to excel and to contribute. I am looking forward to a report on the outcome of the June 23-25 Joint Conferences of Ukrainian American Organizations. I agree with Dr. Kuropas that sessions including the UCCA and UACC and perhaps even the UNA and UFA would have been valuable.

There is hope and optimism for the future of Ukrainian Americans with the work of your editorship and a commentator such as Dr. Kuropas.

God bless you all!

Joseph Jackson
New Providence, N.J.

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